Sotamar Diving Center

Sotamar has operated from Cadaques since 1996, nearly thirty years in the same location, covering the same coastline. The operation is structured around small-group guided diving in Cap de Creus Natural Park: a maximum of 8 divers per departure, all dives led by instructors, three scheduled departures daily. The 09:00 trip requires Advanced certification and at least 50 logged dives; the 11:00 and 15:30 departures are open to all certified levels. Over 25 sites are covered, from Cap Norfeu in the south to the cape itself.

Five SSI designations cover the operation: Instructor Training Center, Classified Diving Center, XR Extended Range, Freediving Center, and Blue Oceans Center. The Blue Oceans designation reflects active conservation work. The XR designation means technical and trimix courses are available alongside the standard recreational pathway. Beyond diving, the center manages 300 mooring buoys in Cadaques bay and carries out commercial underwater works (marine beaconing, ecological anchoring, salvage, oil spill control), which explains the professional maritime infrastructure behind what looks, from the outside, like a recreational center.

The seasonal highlight is the Cap de Creus Experience: blue shark snorkeling in open water offshore the cape from June through August 15, at 175 EUR per person. Blue sharks are critically endangered in the Mediterranean, and the program is tied to a citizen science monitoring initiative. This is not a cage encounter or a guided dive. Participants snorkel with wild blue sharks in open water.

Eleven reviews, all rated Excellent. The pattern across English, Spanish, and French reviewers is consistent: guides who know the park well and make that visible, well-maintained equipment, and a family atmosphere that extends to multi-year returning guests. One Barcelona family described courses and outings for teenage children spread across several summers, always with the same team.

The Shark Tour generates the most detailed testimonials. Reviewers describe watching a 1.2-metre blue shark circle the boat, then entering the water alongside it, as an unexpected bucket-list moment found close to home. Jordi and Carla, who lead the shark program, are named in August 2024 reviews for the care they bring to it: knowledge of blue shark behavior, respect for approach distances, and a conservation commitment that comes through in how they explain the program before and during the experience.